BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 149, 18 March 1908, Page 7

BLACKBALL STRIKE.

MORE HOPEFUL FEELIN'O. - , WAITING FOR DEVELOPMENTS. 1 OLD HANDS ANXIOUS TO RESUME .WORK. " (■I IKEQeAPH—SPECIAL COEEISPONDENT.I ! . Creymouth, Marok 17. To-day a very hopeful feeling pervaded th« • town'ih Regard to'the-Blackball strike, it being felt that a sottloment of i the difficulty would soon bo brought about. . ; One resident who, had' a* conversation with a Blackball as far-,as,to 6ay-;tiiat "within tho , next twenty-four hours an .agreement would .. '..V company were : still'willing'*, to . settle; on- the same terms aa those''W wliicii 'iho' l previous agreement.(whioh,, howover, tho, Union,subsequently ropudiated)..wero.mado lejids oolour to tho possibility, of an-early i settlement.,: . 'Tho'stnkers, during tho last twenty-four / hours, havo received both, oncouragmg and 'disappomtingi news,";ihe.>f6pmer; in. the shape. ' .of some further .offers, of-financial support, Christohurch ! that',the", great..bul^;jvprking men there .pre,,against,the strikers and disgusted at the .attitude.,fcalt'ea up.;.';. ;; ... •,. ■•'•i . ; ■

.It. istatod;that at a Union meeting, it was deoidcid: that-Mr. Fitzgerald .had boon illegally j adrhittcd;ns: a:.member,' and that ho bo ro•quesjjed to leavo. 'i His last words at the door were: "Hang out, boys-.">4-v ■; < .

4 '!-Mri visited-Blackball to-day and conferredivith the: oxccutivo.- He states .that tho ,r rn'on • are; very f firm^ 1 mi Tlemanding , half an-hour-crib time ' /Thoro '.wero-uo.inegotiations of , any sort ! (ET: TELFGRArir. —PRESS ASSOCIATIOH.) ' , . Creymouti, March 17. Strike matters at Blackball aro very quiet, , and to-day a largo number of the. mineri attended tho Grey races. '

TKo' lmaiiagef "t'liat' there- is; -no is' only wait-'; irig dovelopinents: ".'' ■'''.; v . hi .. Y:

A miner, speaking to an "Argus! 1 reporter, stated that the old hands were tired of-the striko, and if tho question of resuming work was settled, by ballot, jjiStead of' open voting, it would bo doculed m favour of ending tho striko. likes to take the .stand, and, so a.' deadlo?lvcontinues. ; . ' I'ritcliard.-: leaves: for .Ghristcliurclr in: tho morning to canvass for support for tho ■ 'Unions.'';; X.v' ■. / Mr. M.P., spent the day. at Blackball. | Ho states that the men aro - •very.'determined to insist on half an hour crib being allowed before they resume work. ;; Thojimners -iaro waiting to see what suo-. cess the delegates bavo with the Unions bo- ■'■' fore deciding on a further course of action.